Sad-iron handle



(No Model.)

H. A. SHEFFIELD.

SAD IRON HANDLE.

No. 522,678. Patented July 10, 1894.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFF CE.

HERBERT A. SHEFFIELD, OF CHAGRIN FALLS, OHIO.

SAD-IRON HAN DLE.

D'LECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 522,678, dated July 10, 1894. Application filed October 16, 1893- Seiial No. 438,231. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

. Be it known that I, HERBERT A. SHEFFIELD, a citizen of the United States, residin g at Chagrin Falls, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and .useful Improvements in Handles for Sad- Irons; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to handles for sad irons, and the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as shown and described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

. In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal central sectional elevation of a sad iron, and a side elevation of my imon said iron. Fig. 2 isa plan view of the iron itself and showing a plan also of one foot of the handle on said iron in order that the relation of the handle to the lugs on the iron maybe morefully disclosed. Fig.3 is across section of the iron and handle. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal central sectional elevation of a modified construction of the handle frame and of the associated parts, as hereinafter more fully described.

The handle herein shown and described belongs to the well-known class of detachable handles which are designed to be used interchangeably with a set of sadirons, so that as one iron has cooled and is placed back upon the stove for heating, the handle is released therefrom and'attached to another iron which is ready for use, the same handle thereby serv ing for a nuinber of sad irons, as is now well known in this art. However, though handles having this function and use are old and wellknown, Ihavefound that there is need of improvement to render them perfectly convenient and satisfactory in service.

It will be understood thattwo things are especially important in an interchangeable handle, first, that the locking mechanism should be simple, convenient and reliable; secondly, that the handle should be firmly and rigidly seated so that in effect it will be practically as firm as a handle of ,the old fashion which is rigid with the iron.

be rigid with one another. ,of' this handle frame has its ends extending proved handle in'working or using position Two somewhat difierent constructions of the handle frame are shown, either of which may be used. In the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, I make the handle frame of two separate pieces A and B of strap meta which are shown as riveted together so as to The upper part upward and daring somewhat from each other to introduce the usual curved wooden handle proper, C, which is rigidly fixed to the sald ends by any suitable means. The lower part B is bent downward at its middle to form a bearing -2- for the trunnions 3 of the pivoted latch or catch D, and the extremities of said strap are bent downward and outward and are notched or recessed at 4: toseat against the upward projecting lugs -5 on the top and ends of the sad iron E.

The lugs 5- have a sufficient elevation to not only afford an engagement for the feet of thehandle, but they are also inclined on the inside from top to base so that the handle as it is placed on the iron from above will more readily find its seating than it would if the lugs were straight, and this, I furthermore, enables me to make the engagement of the handle and the lugs absolutely close and prevent any play between them at their engagm g edges.

The sad iron has a central cavity with a bridge piece 6" spanning the cavity at its center, and this bridge piece has inclined or beveled sides, as shown, to facilitate the engagement of the handled latch D. As a further means of centering the handle with ease and without exercising too much extra care, I employ a rigid guide F, which is rigid with the strap B of the handle and projects downward, as seen in Fig. 1, beneath the cross piece or bridge -6- of the iron into' the cavity, and has its end -7=- bent or curved outward so that when the handle is placed upon the iron the said curved or bent end-7 will strike the inclined surface of the bridge piece on its side and assist in causing the handle to take its proper place for seating. This guide is, therefore, of very ,consid erable service and usefulness in placing the handle upon the iron, and comes to be largely relied upon for centering the handle as described.

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Now, having the parts constructed and arranged to operate as herein above set forth, I employ the pivoted handled latch D to lock the handle on the iron. This latch is constructed to swing freely upon its trunnions or pivots -3 in the handle frame, and the said frame is slotted vertically through both the parts A and B on either side of the trunnion bearing so as to admit the latch therein. The said latch further has a catch S- adapted to engage the flat under surface of the cross strip or piece -6 of the iron, and is caused to swing under the said cross piece and to remain normally in locking engagement by means of a spring G. This spring is, in this instance, placed on the top of the strap A and engages a shoulder -9- on the latch and bears down on the said shoulder continually in whichever position the latch may be swung. Another shoulder -10-is formed on the latch below the shoulder -9-- to bear against strap B and serve as a stop and prevent the latch from swinging open farther than is seen in dotted lines. The upper or handle part -ll-- of the latch extends toward what may be termed the front of the handle over the spring G and in a substantially horizontal position, and has its extremity bent upward and provided with a ball -12-- in convenient position to be engaged by the fingers of the hand which grips the handle without removing the hand from the handle, whereby the handle may be quickly and easily released without changing the position of the hand and without any special effort on the part of the operator. However, the moment that the fingers are re leased from the latch it swings back into its normal position by pressure from the spring G. It will also be noticed that the lower extremity of the latch is beveled or inclined at --13- in the opposite direction from the extremity 7- of the guide, and these parts are thus caused to somewhat naturally find their places in respect to the bridge piece 6 when the handle is placed on and the seating of the handle, as already described, is facilitated.

The handle H shown in Fig. 4 is a modification of the foregoing, and its chief difference is its construction of cast metal. The feet 14.- have recesses or cavities --15- adapted to engage over the lugs -5. In this case, also, the guide l(i-- is integral with the frame II. The latch 18- is pivoted in the frame as in the other view shown, and has a spring 19-- extending through it above the pivot point and is held in the said frame at its ends. The fingers of the operator are adapted to engage the head -20- of the latch as in the other construction, and the catch -2lengages the bridge piece here, the same as the catch --8- in Fig. 1. Altogether the operation of the parts here is substantially the same as in the foregoing figure and description, and they are substantially the same in construction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A sad iron having a central cavity with a bridge piece across the cavity at its center and top, and lugs with tapering sides on the top and ends of the iron,in combination with the handle having feet with V shaped notches opening outward from the handle and engaging said lugs, and a latch pivoted in the center of the handle and provided with a catch to engage under said bridge piece and having its upper end projecting from above its pivot point toward one end of the handle to be engaged by the fingers and a spring to hold the latch in engaging position, substantially as set forth.

2. The handle described, provided with recessed feet to engage lugs on the sad iron, a centrally pivoted latch with a catch 011 its lower end and a handle on its upper end, and a rigid guiding projection on the handle frame projecting downward opposite the said catch, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand to the foregoing specification this 12th day of October, 1893.

HERBERT A. SHEFFIELD.

\Vitnesses:

ROYAL CHURCH, S. A. BAYARD. 

